Deeks Gets a New Hobby
by OhBuddy66
Summary: Deeks is missing Kensi while she is away on a classified mission. Sam takes him under his wing and teaches him about his favorite hobby. I don't own anything NCIS:LA - just enjoying the characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Deeks Gets a New Hobby**

It had been three weeks since Kensi was reassigned. Deeks was still suffering from the shock of her absence – he missed her terribly. He tried to hide that fact, but Sam and G were worried about him. They all sat at their desks finishing up paperwork before calling it a night.

"Deeks, what are you doing tonight?" Sam asked.

"Oh, you know me Sam…yeah, I uh…no - I got nothing to do. Why?"

"Deeks, you know she will be fine wherever she is. She WILL come back when the job is done." Callen tried to sound reassuring, but knew Deeks wasn't buying it.

"Yeah, sure - of course she will. Why do you bring her up?"

"Come on, Deeks – we know you miss her. Just admit it. Hell, we all do. You've been acting like a little lost puppy since she's been gone, though. Snap out of it!" Callen had a smile on his face, hoping to get at least a grin out of Deeks. Nothing.

"You know what Deeks? You need a hobby. Tell you what – you have no plans for tonight? You're coming with me." Sam says. Deeks looks at Sam with doubt.

"Oh,yeah? You think so, huh? I got a hobby, Sam. It's called surfing. I don't need another one."

"Yeah – I do, and another one won't hurt. G? What about you? You want to tag along and see the progress?"

"Nah, you guys go ahead, Sam. I got plans tonight."

Deeks looked at Sam, "Wait, what? What progress? Sam smiled. "Oh, you're in for a treat."

Sam followed Deeks to his apartment. He waited while Marty let Monty out and made sure he had food and water. Soon Deeks was headed for Sam's Challenger. He got in the passenger seat and put his belt on. Sam put the car in gear, checked his rear view mirror, and then pulled away. Sam glanced over at Deeks, who had his head leaned back watching traffic pass by. Sam smiled and asked, "So, are you even the least bit curious about what I may be dragging you into?" Deeks didn't answer right away. As they pulled up to a stoplight Sam looked at Deeks with a questioning stare. "Yo, Deeks! You still with me?"

"Uh, yeah – sorry. I was just thinking. Yes, I am curious. I gotta be honest with you, Sam. I've been going crazy at night since she's been gone. Thanks for making me come with you, for getting me outta my place. You know what I said about surfing? I can't even enjoy that right now. Kens had been coming to the beach with me, too. Now that she is gone I don't feel like being there all that much anymore. Not right now, anyway."

Sam nodded his head in understanding as he drove on. "Well maybe it's time you did something Kensi would approve of. You know – something manly." Deeks looked at Sam. Sam had a big grin on his face. Deeks couldn't help but smile and shake his head at that comment.

"Something manly, huh? What might that be, Sam?"

"Do you like cars, Deeks? I don't mean like our regular, everyday cars. I'm talking muscle cars. Big motors, loud exhaust, obnoxious paint jobs, fat tires. Like my Charlene before she was stolen and brutalized a couple years ago. Cars like that. Cars with…swagger." Sam looked at Deeks, waiting for an answer.

Deeks thought for a moment before replying, "I've never thought much one way or the other about cars. To me they are a way of getting from point A to point B. I don't see the value in dumping money into an old pile of junk. Besides, I grew up here in LA. It wasn't about cars for me – it was about the beach, the water, the girls…music, which meant more girls." Deeks chuckled. He thought back to that morning Sam had blocked his paper football field goal attempt, knocking it to Bangladesh he recalled. Callen telling them that Charlene had been stolen and Sam was heartbroken, that was why Sam had been acting all weird that morning. Charlene was – or had been – Sam's 1970 Challenger he was restoring. It was his "therapeutic refuge" as Callen had put it. He remembered how he had said it was just a car and Kensi defended Sam. "_Uh um, uh um - V8 Magnum, 4 barrel carb with dual exhaust. That's not just a car!"_ Deeks could still hear Kensi question him when he said putting money into a car was a waste. _"What kind of man are you?"_

They pulled up to a storage lot on the outskirts of the city. Sam put the car in park and killed the engine. He climbed out of the car and started walking to the nearest overhead door. As he fumbled through his keys, he looked back over his shoulder at Deeks, who was just catching up to him.

"You remember that Challenger G got me to help me get over losing Charlene?"

How could I forget something as butt ugly as that car, Deeks thought. "Yeah, I remember it."

Sam lifted the door slowly. "I still haven't decided what to name her – but take a look at her now." Sam reached inside the door and flipped a switch. Several bright fluorescent lights came on inside. It was a large area. Deeks figured easily the equivalent of three normal storage units. This was really more like a garage in the middle of several storage units. There were cabinets along the back wall. Along the one side was a work bench with numerous tools and parts strewn about. There in the middle, shining like a diamond was Sam's Challenger - the one that had been a gift from G, who had used his rainy day fund to cheer up his partner. It was still yellow like Deeks remembered, but now it was like brand new. The mismatched fenders were gone. The dull paint was history. The chrome glittered brilliantly.

"Whoa." Deeks whispered under his breath. "You did this, Sam?"

Sam was beaming with pride, "Most of it. I did the body work, replaced the interior, and rebuilt the motor and transmission… The only thing I didn't do was the paint. I had the shop that repaired Hetty's Jag do it. Not bad, eh?"

"It looks incredible! I…I can't believe the difference. I can't believe you did this with your own hands. You sure this is the same car?" Deeks was clearly in awe of his buddy's skills. Deeks opened the driver's side door and leaned in for a look. The car looked and smelled new. The carpet was black as night, the seats looked like they had never been sat in. The dash was clean and flawless, as were the gauges. There was not a spot in the interior that hadn't been given attention. It truly looked like a brand new car, not a "pile of junk" as Deeks had put it. The car obviously was no longer old or junk. Sam had poured blood, sweat and tears into this car and it showed. It was, for the lack of a better word Deeks thought, awesome. "Sam…wow…just wow."

"You wanna go for a spin in her? All that's left to do is swap out these old wheels for the new ones I have over here" Sam pointed to the back corner. Deeks looked and saw brand new tires mounted on shiny new wheels. "Those are genuine rally wheels" Sam said.

Deeks looked at the wheels on the car and the pile Sam had just pointed to, "OK. What makes them any different than the ones on it now?"

"See these wheels on the car now – they don't all match. A couple are nicer wheels, but a couple are just steel wheels with hubcaps. No swagger. Those," he pointed to the new ones, "are original rally wheels. No hubcaps. Just like my Challenger I drive now, only older versions." Sam walked over to the bench and grabbed a lug wrench. He knelt down and popped the hubcap off the wheel with the flat end of the wrench, flipped to the other end and started loosening the lug nuts on the car. "Deeks, grab me one of the new wheels and bring it to me." Marty went over to the stack of new wheels and pulled the top one off, set it upright and rolled it over to Sam. "Thanks, partner." Sam grinned up at Deeks. Marty nodded. It was then that Deeks noticed the car was sitting up off the ground slightly. He was so stunned at the transformation the car had gone through that he didn't notice it was sitting on jack stands. He watched as Sam spun all five of the nuts off. He wiped his hands off on a rag that had been laying there on the floor, grabbed the new wheel and gently lined it up on the studs. Once the wheel was on, Sam reached down for the new lug nuts. They were nice and shiny, not all dirty and rusty like the ones he had taken off. They repeated the process on the next wheel. On the third, Sam asked Deeks if he'd like to do the honors.

"Sure, OK. You trust me with this?" Sam shrugged and nodded yes. Deeks spun the lug nuts off while Sam rolled a new rim over. Deeks had to admit, he thought to himself, these really did set the car off.

"So why do you do this, Sam? Why spend so much time and money on something like this?"

"Why do you spend money on a funny looking board and float around in the ocean on it?" Sam countered.

Deeks laughed at that. "Touché."

Sam patted Deeks on the shoulder as he walked past him. "Let's get her back on the ground and we'll take her for a test drive." He wheeled a floor jack under the car, positioning it in just the right spot, and pumped the handle up and down. The car lifted off the jack stand. "Grab that out from under there, will ya?" he asked Marty. Deeks pulled the jack stand out and sat it away from the car. Again, they worked their way around to each wheel until the car was sitting on the ground like it should be.

"Get in, Deeks. Let's roll!" Deeks slid into the passenger seat and shut the door. It thumped shut nicely. Sam got in and closed his door. "You ready to experience some real American muscle, Deeks?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!"

Sam pushed the gas pedal and hit the key. The engine roared to life. It was loud. Not in the bad exhaust pipe way it sounded when Deeks and the others had first heard the car all that time ago outside the Mission. This sounded more like Sam's work Challenger. Actually, he thought, this sounds menacing and powerful. Deeks grinned as a new thought came to mind. This sounded…manly.

"Kensi would be proud, Sam. It doesn't get any manlier sounding than that!" Sam rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh, but he couldn't help it. It was good to hear Deeks joke around. Sam knew Deeks and Kensi had a special kind of partnership and that he was really missing her. Sam missed her, as well, and wondered when she would be back. Nobody had ever gotten through to her like Deeks had. For all the years Sam knew Kensi, although she was a great agent, she never had a sense of humor. She never really opened up to anybody. She was all business, all the time. When Deeks came on board as their liaison he drove her crazy. She was always frustrated with the jokes and seemingly not a care in the world attitude Deeks showed to everyone. Even Sam and Callen had a tough time accepting his antics. As time went on, though, Deeks proved time and again that he was just as good at his job as they were at theirs, even better in some instances when undercover work was needed. There was no arguing that he made the team better. There was also no arguing that Kensi blossomed once Deeks started breaking down her walls. She had a beautiful smile, and Sam and Callen both had noticed the change in her when Deeks was around. She was…happy. It was nice to see her open up. Marty knew her better than anyone else and somehow knew just the right thing to say when she needed to hear it. Sam knew Deeks was missing her, probably more than the rest of the team, but he wasn't going to push Deeks about it. Sam had a new found respect for him after their run in with Sidorov and his men. Sam owed Deeks. He also enjoyed spending time with him, especially now that Kensi was gone. Deeks, Callen and Sam were like brothers. Deeks truly was one of them. In fact, if Sam was being honest, Deeks always had been – he was just too blind to see it at the time.

Sam gunned the engine a few times and then put the car in gear. He let it roll slowly out of the unit. He steered it towards the street and stopped to wait for traffic. The motor thumped along under the hood, the exhaust note strong out the back of the car.

"So Sam, is it a V8 Magnum, 4 barrel carb with dual exhaust?" Deeks asked with a grin on his face.

"How did you know that?" Sam looked at Deeks with one eyebrow raised.

Deeks laughed. "Well, when Charlene disappeared you had gone up to OPS and Callen was explaining to Kens and I about who Charlene was. I made the comment about it just being a car. Kensi went all Wikipedia on me and said Charlene had those and that she was not "just a car".

"Kensi was right. Charlene wasn't just a car – and neither is this one. But yes, 440 Magnum engine with a 4 barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. Sounds pretty sweet, right?"

"Sure, I guess – if you're into that sort of thing. I will admit, she does not sound like just any car." Deeks grinned.

At that, Sam pulled out onto the street, and with a glance around the area, mashed the gas pedal. Deeks wasn't expecting the power the car had and he was immediately slammed back in the seat as the car launched forward with a roar. No quicker than Sam had floored the gas, he backed right out of it and let the car coast back to a safer speed. He looked over at Deeks, who was looking back at him with wide eyes – it was all Sam could do to keep from busting out laughing.

"You know, Deeks, now that I'm done with this car I'm gonna have time to work on another. Why don't you find a car you think you would like and we can work on it together?" Marty looked at Sam.

"I don't know, Sam. I have no idea what I am doing – I don't know what kind of car to look for…I don't need another car."

"That is the whole point, Deeks. It's not about need. It's about doing something for fun. Something to pass the time. It just so happens that when you're done with it you will have something to show for the time invested. You might even find that you enjoy it. Come on, Shaggy – there has to be some old car you find intriguing or relevant to you."

Deeks sat in deep thought as Sam kept driving. It was only when Sam stopped the car and shut the engine off Deeks realized they were back at his apartment.

"Well, Detective…come up with anything yet?" Sam asked impatiently.

Something in the way Sam said detective struck a chord with him. He started thinking about Kensi and the hard time she gave him about being sensitive, not manly enough. He knew Kensi really didn't think that way of him (or at least he hoped she didn't), they just liked annoying each other. It was part of their "thing". Marty Deeks was a cop – an LAPD detective – and it was at that very moment he knew the perfect car he had to find. He turned to Sam. Sam noticed right away the gleam in Marty's blue eyes and the grin that started to grow bigger and bigger.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I know exactly what I want. Thanks so much for this, Sam! You promise you will help me once I find it?"

"Absolutely. So what are you thinking?"

Deeks jumped out of the car and shut the door, leaning back in the window to talk, "I want it to be a surprise, and it may take me some time to find it. Once I do I will let you know! Thanks again, Sam! I'll see you tomorrow."

"Later, Deeks." Sam chuckled as Deeks practically skipped up the sidewalk like a little kid. As he drove away he couldn't help but wonder what in the world shaggy boy had thought of that made him so excited.

Turns out he didn't have to wait long. It wasn't a week later that Deeks asked him to meet him at the storage unit. As Sam drove up he saw Deeks already standing there next to a car under a tarp. The shape looked vaguely familiar to Sam but he couldn't quite place it. He parked his Challenger and started walking towards the mystery car. Deeks had a mischievous grin on his face.

"Are you ready for this, Sammy? This is gonna be all kinds of cool. Kensalina will be so proud when she comes back!"

"Let's see it, Deeks." Marty grabbed the edge of the tarp and whipped it back. He watched Sam as it took a moment for what he was looking at to sink in.

"What the… Seriously?" Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head before looking at the ground and laughing. "Only you, Deeks. Only you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You like it, yeah?" Deeks grinned.

"Oh, sure… I mean, it's not what I expected. But it makes perfect sense to me." Sam chuckled. "So tell me about it. Where did you find it?"

"That night you dropped me off I went right inside and hopped on the internet and started searching. It took a couple days before I found this one. It's the wrong color, but the right body. Some old man had it up at Santa Clarita. He was the original owner. That's a good thing, huh? He bought it brand new in 1974, special ordered it himself. He gave me a shoebox full of receipts for stuff he's already done to it."

"Good job. Knowing the history of the car, being from the original owner – it makes it that much easier to figure out what does or doesn't need done. So, give me some details – motor, mileage…"

"Ok, well…the guy made a big deal out of it. He said he ordered it with a 351CJ, 4-speed manual and heavy duty suspension. In the last couple years he has had the motor professionally rebuilt. The car has roughly 79,000 actual miles on it, with the rebuilt motor only having about 1,500." Deeks said with a bit of pride. He may not have known much about cars until about a week ago, but he had found once Sam had challenged him to find one he went all out on the research. It helped take his mind off Kensi.

Sam started asking "You said it's the wrong color, so am I correct in assuming you want it to be" Deeks interrupted Sam before he could say the word, "You know it, Sam!"

"Uh huh." Sam shook his head, "Ok, so let's see what the body looks like." Sam walked around the car, inspecting every inch. He ran his hands over the curves of the body, along the sides of the doors. He knelt down on his knees and felt under the wheel wells of the fenders both front and rear. He peeked under the car, looking for any kind of damage. He grunted here, nodded there. Deeks watched with intensity as Sam checked the car over.

"What are…what are you doing? What are you looking for, Sam?"

Sam replied, "Just looking for damage. Rust, crash repairs, things like that. Deeks, you did a good job picking this car. It is straight as an arrow. With the color you want to switch to, the interior is already good to go – and is in incredibly good shape. We will do some more inspecting, but I think this will be a fairly easy job. Obviously prepping the car for new paint will be the biggest challenge. Let's get her…I'm sorry…are you going to refer to your car as a lady?"

Deeks smiled, "Of course I am. So into the garage she goes?"

Sam nodded as Deeks folded the tarp up and sat it off to the side. He then slid into the driver's seat and turned the key. Sam smiled as the engine fired right up. Deeks revved it up a couple times and then let it sit at idle, the big CJ motor running smoothly. As Deeks put the car in gear and slowly let out the clutch, Sam went ahead and picked the tarp up and stepped inside the storage unit. Marty got the car squared up to the door and backed in, watching his rear-view mirror as Sam guided him in. Sam motioned for him to stop. Deeks shut the car off and got out.

"She sure sounds good, Deeks. How does she drive?"

"Well, uh…not having much experience with older cars to compare it to, I'd say just dandy! It's – er, I mean she's an old car. She seems really fast, though. Actually, it was kinda fun to run through the gears out on the highway. So where do we start, Sam?"

"Well, let's see…depends on how far you want to go with this. Obviously, with the color change, if you want the car to look original we will need to strip it down to the bare shell so it can be painted inside and out. Or you could go the cheaper route and mask off around the windows, lights, door jams, etc and just paint the stuff you will see the most – which is the outside of the car. Me, I would spend the time and money to do it all. The car will look authentic that way. I don't like seeing a car that has been fixed up nicely only to pop the hood and see the car was 2 or 3 different colors before. In this case you're starting off with a nice car in original condition. We could clean it up, add some nicer wheels, tune it up, and bolt a nice sounding exhaust on it and you would have a killer ride. I see your vision, though. Going that route, knowing you like I do, it's a perfect combination of muscle car and humor – I get it. Everyone will get it, but it will still be a killer ride, and it is totally you, Deeks."

"Thanks, Sam, for understanding. I know I'm opening myself up to be made fun of by you guys and I'm sure that will happen – but it will be totally worth it. I'm all in on this. I want it done right. Let's face it; I have nothing better to do with my spare time right now." Marty exclaimed.

Over the next several weeks Sam helped Deeks tear his car apart. They pulled the bumpers off, took the head and tail light assemblies out, pulled the grill and trim off the car. Callen lent a hand on occasion, too. The car was looking bare with all the accessories gone. They even removed all the glass and pulled the interior out. Any imperfect part was either fixed or replaced. Somewhere along the line Deeks even decided he wanted to upgrade the suspension and brakes so the car would drive and handle like a new one. Cases came and went, Kensi was still gone. When Sam didn't have time to work on the car he gave Deeks a key to the storage unit so he could work on it himself. Under Sam's guidance, Deeks poured his heart and soul into the car. He was determined to make this the best car he could. Weeks turned into months. Monty now had a bed in the corner of the unit and spent countless hours there with Deeks. Sam and Deeks grew even closer the more time they spent together. After a grueling day at work, both sore and exhausted, they met at the storage unit and continued to work on the car, prepping the body for paint. Deeks asked Sam, "How much longer before she's ready?"

"I'd say another round of sanding and she will be ready."

"You…you really think so? I'm glad. I don't think I can handle much more sanding duty. I bet this is when G would be sitting back with a mojito watching somebody else do the work, yeah? In fact, that's probably why he hasn't been by recently I'm guessing."

"You are probably right, Deeks. But just wait until the day she comes out of the paint shop and we get her back here and start putting all the parts back on. How she'll look when you climb in that seat and fire up the engine and take her for that first drive. All the looks you'll get. It will be from all the hard work you've put into her." Sam pointed out.

By the following week they had finished disassembling Deeks' car and gotten it ready for the trip to Hetty's favorite body shop. Marty had given the shop foreman specific instructions on the paint scheme. He assured Marty he wouldn't be disappointed. They shook on it and Deeks went home.

Another week had gone by when they got a call in the middle of the night. Kensi had gone missing and so had Granger. Hetty was sending the boys to Afghanistan to bring Kensi home. The next several days were hell. The roller coaster of emotions they all went through; from Kensi seeing Jack, getting captured and beaten, the photo the team had found of Kensi looking like she had been killed, Deeks seeing that photo and the unspeakable thing he almost did because of it, Sam, Callen and the others who almost lost the battle on that mountain before Deeks swooped in with Makar and the cleric in a chopper for a prisoner exchange, Granger calling in an airstrike…coming back home.

A few weeks later, things were slowly getting back to normal. Kensi was still not back to work. She was on the mend, but she and Deeks had not spent any time together like he had thought they would. It hurt, but he understood she needed the space much like he did after his own ordeal with Sidorov. Unbeknownst to Deeks, Kensi had actually been by his place several times after she thought he would be home from work, but found he was not there each time. She would sit and wait for him. She would look for him at the beach. She was heartbroken at the thought that maybe he had moved on after those long months she was away and had found someone else, so she didn't bother to call or text for fear of bothering him.

Deeks wanted so much to be spending time with Kensi now that she was home. To pass the time Deeks kept hanging out with Sam and working on the car. Marty was so excited when the body shop dropped his car off back at Sam's storage unit. Sam was there with him when the truck pulled up. The driver opened the enclosed car trailer door, pulling out the ramps. Inside it was dark, but Deeks could see the paint, and it looked amazing. They loosened the straps holding the car in place. Deeks and Sam stood back as the car was rolled gently out of the trailer into the early evening sun.

"Now THAT is what I'm talking about, Sam!" Deeks shouted and clapped Sam on the back.

"I must say, Shaggy, good call on the car – AND the color. Now before you start drooling all over this beast let's get her inside and start putting her back together!"

It was a slow process, much slower than taking the car apart, but after long hours every night after work and a couple weekends Deeks and Sam could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. On the day before Kensi was to return to work, Deeks was at the storage unit with Sam putting the finishing touches on his "new" ride. They finished mounting the new slotted mag wheels with the oversize tires on the rear, the normal size tires on the front giving the car that raked look of the old days. The car looked like it was doing 100mph standing still. The cherry on top was the custom plates he ordered from the DMV. As he bolted those on his only thought was going for that first drive in her. Deeks wanted Sam along for the ride, but Sam told him no. He thought it best if Marty enjoyed that first drive on his own, and suggested cruising past Kensi's place on his maiden voyage - just in case he would possibly catch her outside. Deeks took the suggestion to heart. He settled into the driver's seat and put his left hand on the wheel, his right on the gear shifter. He looked out over the long, wide hood and took a deep breath. Sam watched with curiosity as Marty continued to sit there, not moving.

"Shaggy, hey – you OK?" Sam asked quietly.

Deeks snapped out of whatever thought he was lost in and answered, "Never better. Last chance to go break this beast in, Sam - whatya say?"

"You go, Deeks. Go enjoy your hard work. She does look good, doesn't she?"

"Thanks to you, Sam - I can't thank you enough for talking me into this." Marty turned the key and the engine cranked to life, the sound coming out of the exhaust a deep, powerful rumble. He nodded to Sam as he slid the shifter into first gear and eased up on the clutch, the car rolling out to the street. Sam watched as the detective checked traffic and pulled out, punching the gas just enough to chirp the big rear tires before shifting into second gear and disappearing down the block.

Deeks drove aimlessly, enjoying the looks the car was getting. People waved, gave the thumbs up or would shout nice car as he cruised by. He loved the sound of the motor as he shifted up through the gears. Sam had been spot on with the description of how good it felt to enjoy the work they had put into restoring the car. It wasn't actually a restoration, more of a custom build to meet his vision of what this car, HIS car, should look like. Marty was just about to head to Kensi's neighborhood when he caught a glimpse of a silver SRX ahead a couple blocks. He smiled as he sped up, hoping the Cadillac was Kensi's.

Kensi was on her way back home from picking up a few things. She was nervous about going back to work the next day and had decided to drive past Deeks apartment one more time before heading to the grocery store. Once again she was sad to find that he wasn't there. She hurried to the store, grabbed what she needed and left. She was deep in thought when she noticed the older car about a block back. It was hard to miss, the sun shining on the bright red paint. The car weaved around a few others between them and began gaining on her. She couldn't help but think she should know the car. It looked so familiar. She shifted her attention back to the street ahead of her. She made a right turn, heading for home. She glanced up in the rear-view mirror just in time to see the car slowly make the right hand turn and continue behind her. She knew the car without a doubt now; the big white stripe gave it away. It made her think of Deeks, and she smiled. She turned into her apartment complex and steered into her spot. She sat there for a minute, enjoying the memory of Deeks and the good times they had shared. She wondered if they would ever be able to get back to being like that again. As she got out of her SRX she hadn't noticed the red car had stopped at the entrance. As she leaned in the back seat to grab her bags she caught a glimpse of it out on the street, just sitting there. She locked her SRX and started across the parking lot towards her door. She heard the engine rev and then it was moving. She glanced over her shoulder only to see the car coming her way. She stopped when she saw the driver, the sun lighting his face. The sunglasses hid the eyes she has missed for so many months, but the blond unkempt hair could belong to only one man, "Deeks? Deeks, is that you?" she said to herself. The car came to a stop next to her. She stepped back to take a better look as the driver slipped his shades up and turned those blue eyes up to meet hers. "Deeks! It really IS you… But, where's your tru – is this…" she was beginning to ramble. She stopped herself and took a breath.

"Hey, Fern." Deeks smiled up at her. "Wanna go for a ride?"

"Um, well…sure? Let me put my stuff inside the door?"

"Sure." Kensi turned and took the sidewalk up to her apartment, opened the door and reached inside, leaving her bags on the floor. As she walked back to Deeks she shook her head, grinning. He was leaning against the front fender, hands in his pockets, legs crossed at the ankles. His head tilted to one side as he watched her come back his way.

"Seriously, Deeks? Starsky and Hutch?"

"All day long, Princess. Starsky AND Hutch. You like? She's a 1974 Ford Gran Torino Sport with a 351 Cobra Jet engine, 4 speed manual transmission and Traction-Lok rearend."

"Oddly enough, yes I do. But it seems weird, even for you. You don't like old cars."

"Hop in. It's a long story."

As she walked around the car she noticed the plates. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me! Really Deeks?" He smiled, then shrugged his shoulders. The license plates proudly claim FERN 2.

She got in the passenger side. He fired the car up, slipped it in gear and started driving. "Sam and I did this."

"Wha…what? You and Sam? But…you said…I thought you… Wow. Really?" she was beginning to feel silly not being able to form a complete sentence.

"Sam made me go for a ride with him one night about 3 weeks after you left. I was in a really bad place. I was trying to hide it, but G and Sam both knew I was struggling with you being gone." Kensi tensed up at this admission. "Sam drove me out to his storage unit and showed me his Challenger that G got him when Charlene was stolen. He had me help him put new wheels on it and then he took me for a ride. You should see it, Kens – it's amazing! Sam is really talented. Anyway, he was done with the Challenger. He talked me into buying a car and he offered to help me fix it up." Deeks slid a picture out from under the sun visor and handed to it to Kensi. "Here's what it looked like when I bought it."

She took the picture, staring at it in awe. She looked over at Deeks and back to the picture, shaking her head. "So, you've been spending all your time with Sam fixing this up?" She was secretly relieved of the worry he had found someone else.

He nodded as he kept driving. "G helped some, too. Mostly Sam and I, though. Sam taught me a lot. I worked on it some by myself once he showed me what to do. Callen was right when he said it was therapeutic refuge. I totally get why Sam does it." Deeks laughed as he thought about Sam's words. Kensi was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Plus – Sam told me I should do something manly that you would approve of." Kensi smiled at that comment.

"That's right, Shaggy. I approve. This car is awesome. You did a great job on it – and I totally get the whole Starsky and Hutch thing. That is so…you." She looked at him with those mismatched eyes and gave him one of her genuine Kensi Blye smiles that he loves.

"Thanks, Kens. I guess I better get you back home, yeah? Morning is gonna come early." Although she was in no hurry to get home, she knew he was right. Tomorrow would be a big day and she had no idea what Hetty had in store for her. She was hoping to get right back out with Deeks, but she knew it probably wouldn't be that simple.

"I'm glad you stopped by, Deeks. " She almost told him about stopping at his place several times since she had been back. She decided against it. She was glad he had bonded with Sam and thankful that Deeks hadn't been alone – or worse, with someone new. She knew they had things to figure out. But true to his word, he was being patient and she felt a little guilty that she had assumed otherwise.

"Here you go, Kensalina. See you tomorrow, partner." Deeks smiled as he pulled up in front of her apartment.

"See you tomorrow, Deeks." She looked at him, almost asked him if he wanted to come in - but then thought better of it. She opened the door and got out. She started up the walk and turned, stopping to watch as Deeks drove away in his Starsky and Hutch Torino. She watched until he was out of sight, and then listened until the rumbling of the engine faded away in the distance.

The first day back Hetty made Kensi stay in Ops with Eric. Nell was sent out with Deeks. Later that night Hetty decided to let Kensi back in the field with her partner. The first week flew by and the team was getting their groove back. Deeks and Kensi were back to their bantering ways and getting more comfortable every day. Friday came and there were no cases. The team sat in the bullpen getting caught up on paperwork. It was getting close to noon when Sam mentioned somebody should make a food run.

"I'll go." Deeks offered. Kensi hopped up and came around to the front of her desk. "I'll come with you, unless you don't want me to." She stepped over to Deeks' desk where he was writing down everyone's orders.

"Sure thing, Kens." He grinned. "You just wanna ride in my awesome car, admit it!"

She noticed his keys lying on the corner of his desk. He saw her eying them and before he could react, she had snatched them up. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him. G looked on, a smirk on his face. Sam looked at G. They both nodded, knowing what was about to happen.

"Kens, what…what are you doing? Where are you going with my keys?" Kensi was backing away from his desk towards the tunnel that led to the parking lot. She had a big grin on her face but said nothing.

" Kensi, Princess?" Deeks was coming out from behind his desk, moving towards her.

"You know, Deeks," she said with a very serious tone, "Starsky is the brunette. It's Starsky's car, right?" With that, she spun around and took off.

"No, no…Kens, it's my car." He started after her, "Sugarbear, light of my life…? KENSI!"

Sam looked at Callen, "You think he'll get his car back, G?"

Callen chuckled, "Not a chance."


End file.
